DELIVERED IN THE FEDERATION CHAMBER

I rise to give voice to many of my constituents who are aghast at the truly heartbreaking images coming from India. Hundreds of thousands of families are grappling with the profound sense of grief, the personal loss of loved ones, and the sense of despair as they watch their ancestral homeland being devastated by the pandemic.

The sense of community sadness is turning to anger and frustration, following the Prime Minister's announcement to threaten jail time and fines for Australian citizens seeking to return from India. I have the privilege of representing a very large population of people of subcontinent background. The hurt they are feeling, the outrage they rightly express, isn't about special treatment. In fact, it's the exact opposite. It's about all Australian citizens, regardless of their background or where they are at any point in time, being afforded the same respect and support by their own government.